LOS ANGELES, 1 January 2018, (PRNewswire) – TIME’S UP, an unprecedented movement started by women in the entertainment industry, today announced the launch of TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund is one of a series of TIME’S UP’s ongoing commitments to combat the systemic power imbalances that have prohibited many women, especially women of color, from being safe and reaching their full potential in the workplace.

TIME’S UP is a central hub supporting a wide range of initiatives aimed at promoting equality and safety in the workplace. In addition to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, TIME’S UP initiatives cover legislation, corporate policy, hiring practices and aggregating important resources. TIME’S UP is comprised of many working groups that focus on tackling these issues from various angles.

“Earning a living should not come at the cost of anyone’s safety, dignity or morale,” said Shonda Rhimes. “Every person should get to work in an environment free from abuse, assault and discrimination. It’s well past time to change the culture of the environment where most of us spend the majority of our day — the work place. 51% of our population is female, over 30% of our population is of color. Those are important, vital, economically powerfully voices that need to be heard at every level. TIME’S UP is working to make sure the people walking the corridors of power within the workplace and in politics truly reflect the full mix of America – the real America that looks like and includes all of us. Look, this isn’t going to be easy but it is right. And fighting for what is right can seem hard. But letting what is wrong become normal is not easier — it is just more shameful.”

The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, spearheaded by Tina Tchen and Roberta Kaplan and top PR professionals, will help individuals who experience sexual misconduct including assault, abuse or harassment find legal representation. The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund will be housed at and administered by the National Women’s Law Center and participating attorneys will work with the Center’s Legal Network for Gender Equity to enable more individuals to come forward and secure legal assistance.

Prior to its formal launch, TIME’S UP has already raised more than thirteen million dollars from over 200 donors for The TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund, to help to defray costs for lawyers and communications professionals from across the country to provide assistance to those who experience sexual harassment.

“The magnitude of the past few months highlights the fact that sexual harassment against women in the workplace is endemic and touches every industry,” said Tina Tchen, attorney and co-founder of TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. “We are a community of women and men who can no longer stand idly by. This is the first of many concrete actions we will take. And we are thrilled to partner with Fatima Goss Graves and the National Women’s Law Center to assure the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund’s success.”

The launch of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund is the second action this month from the TIME’S UP community. In mid-December, entertainment industry executives, independent experts and advisors came together to create the Commission on Sexual Harassment and Advancing Equality in the Workplace. Chaired by Anita Hill, the Commission will lead the entertainment industry toward alignment in achieving safer, fairer, more equitable and accountable workplaces—particularly for women and marginalized people.

“Receiving unanimous support from the entertainment industry’s leaders to form and fund the Commission is an important first step in tackling the broad culture of abuse and power disparity. We all know that safe and inclusive work environments result in stronger and more successful businesses,” said Kathleen Kennedy. “Our goal is to define a work environment where the basic principles of respect, human decency, and equality define the workplace everywhere.”

In addition to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund and the Commission, TIME’S UP is also working closely with 5050by2020, believing a shift in power and leadership is imperative to make change. The group is advocating for a 50/50 model where women are equally represented at every level—especially in leadership positions and positions of power. 5050by2020 has already received commitments for gender parity by 2020 from leaders in the industry including Creative Artist Agency (CAA) and ICM Partners (ICM).

TIME’S UP has received the support and backing of numerous attorneys, activists, public relations professionals, companies, and celebrities, who all stand ready to help.

Peace Through Tourism

How Travel & Tourism Can Help Restore the Balance in the Emerging New World Order

"The travel & tourism buzzword of the 21st century will be the search for balance."

That forecast was made by Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive Editor, Travel Impact Newswire, in the monthly strategic intelligence publication of PATA, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, way back in February 1999. Today, it is proving spot-on as the word "balance" resonates across all industry sectors.

Travel industry conferences seeking a speaker who can offer some unique historical hindsight, unconventional foresight and thought-provoking insight on how to rebuild and restore the balance in Asia Pacific travel & tourism can email Imtiaz Muqbil by clicking here.

There Can Be No Sustainability Without Spirituality

The New World Order will be dominated by a resurgence of spirituality.

Imtiaz Muqbil claims to be the world's only travel journalist to have visited the Holy Spots of all the major world religions -- Lumbhini, Bodhgaya, Varanasi, Nalanda, Jerusalem, Vatican City, Amritsar, Makkah, Madinah, Najaf and Karbala, as well as religious spots such as Angkor Wat, Bagan, Shwedagon Pagoda, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Temple of The Tooth, Somnath Temple, Samarkand, Bukhara and many other great mosques, shrines, temples and cathedrals worldwide.

Sustainability, ecotourism and health & wellness travel have all become so 'yesterday'. Prepare for the new generation of travel in the New World Order and raise the bar of your next conference, management forum or seminar by hearing Imtiaz Muqbil's thoughts on this unmatched game- and life-changing experience.

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Secrets of Thailand's Tourism Success

Why the Amazing Kingdom is notching up record-breaking arrivals, and what challenges it faces next

The Thai tourism industry has become by far the Kingdom's most successful service sector, one of its leading job-creators and foreign exchange-earners. Behind this success lies a fascinating history of great branding campaigns, policy and regulatory changes, budgetary bunfights, strategic thinking and influence of Royal events.

But this success has now bred a new set of management challenges that may be more difficult to overcome.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has been monitoring the pulse of the Thai travel industry full-time since 1981. Industry conferences and management meetings wishing to benefit from a treasure trove of insights and hindsights on one of the world's great tourism success stories can drop an email here: imtiaz@travel-impact-newswire.com.

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The Rise of the Whistle-Blowers

For 15 years (January 1997-July 2012), Imtiaz Muqbil penned a hard-hitting fortnightly column called “Soul-Searching” in the so-called “newspaper you can trust”. In July 2012, the column was gagged, with no explanation.

Over the years, four columns had explicitly forecast the rise of whistle-blowers -- a prediction now coming 100% true. Read the four columns by clicking on the links below.

Too Bad Your Ad Is Not in This Spot

Space available for unique ads that demonstrate commitment to helping physically-challenged people, building global peace, improving social and cultural cohesion, providing opportunities for the under-privileged, alleviating poverty and combatting global injustice & corruption.

If your product is not meeting any of the above goals, please advertise elsewhere.

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News Vs Noise

A Unique Course for Travel & Tourism Communicators In The Internet Era

By far the vast majority of media communications in the travel industry is boring, banal and bland. The same way it has been for the last 30 years.

Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil has designed a special communications course to help upgrade both the context and the content of industry media material, and make it more interesting, readable and, most important, relevant.